Marine Hospital New Orleans L'a March 10^th 1864

 

Dear Wife

            Your letter written Feby 23^d I received to day and was glad to hear from home again for it had been some ten days since I have had a letter and I begun to think that you must be sick or else you was frozen up so that you could not write any more

 

            Well I am here yet in the Marine hospital and am having some pretty lonesome times since Mr White has gone and more so for a couple of days past as it has been very rainy and wet, and yesterday it hailed very hard and thundered & lightened all day very hard & sharp, but it would be more lonesome only I am pretty busy now days as we have a good many that are very sick and more coming every day and it requires most all of my time to attend to them so that by night I get some tired and yet I have to sit up until 9 Oclock and often times until 12 and when anything unusual occurs am called up at any time of the night

 

            If I could get out of this I would do it very quick for I am tired of hospital life but I do not see any chance to do it now since my name is put on the Invalid roll. but I am going to try hard to get a furlough as soon as I can. but I think that it will be very doubtful if I get one, for my influential friends here are few 

 

            In regard to that money at Lyons it is for you and Mr Reynolds to do with what you think best, I left it for you to use just as you needed it and I am not afraid yet to trust either of you with it. If he thinks it ought to taken from them I shall trust to his judgment to do it and believe that he will do what he thinks is best with it

 

It was due the 15^th of last March if I recolect right

 

            I do not know but that George Burley has written to me last but I have got but one letter from him and that I answered the next day after I got it so I am not much in debt to him I guess if he has wrote since I have I have not got his letter yet

 

            I am glad to hear you speak so well of Frank and lilly for it does me good to hear it. I will send in this letter a new 10^ct postage currency to Frank and the next one that I get I will send to Lilly.

 

            In regard to them rings in the box that I sent you or you and Mr Reynold you will find nearly a dozen but not all alike but I think that you sell them to cheap 25^cts apiece is not what they cost if my time was worth anything. the stuff for each ring here costs 15^cts you can do as you are a mind to but I should not sell any more for less than 50^cts apiece I am so busy now that I cannot make any more at present but as soon as I can I will 

 

            That letter that you spoke of had an envelope on simply directed to me C^o A. with out any stamp on or any other directions

 

            I sent you five dollars in my last letter and will send you one more in this and as fast as I get it will send you more it is but a little at a time but it is the best that I can do yet. do not think that I am trying to stint you for I am not.

 

            But I must stop for to night for it is getting pretty near midnight and I want to go to bed but I will write again in a few days

 

From yours as Ever

L. V. Tucker

 

(PS)     how many yards does it take for Lilly a dress now &            for If I send home anything more I am going to send her a new dress & frank a cap. you need not tell the children of this until I send them

 

yours L.V.T

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